Last week I received an unusual request. A reader of this column telephoned to ask whether it would be possible for me to write about people who are afraid of dogs. He said that he himself was terrified of dogs and that he’d been bitten twice this very week.

The request was unusual because even though the human element often plays a big part in the treatment of cases, my perspective is primarily that of the animal. And yet, to be afraid of one of the most popular household pets in Malta is a situation that deserves attention.

Fear of animals is referred to as zoonophobia, and a fear of dogs is called cynophobia. But while a fear of snakes, spiders and rodents tends to be more common, a fear of dogs may be more debilitating simply because there is far more chance of encountering one.

Those who suffer from this phobia, cynophobics, may find themselves avoiding situations where they may encounter dogs. Physical symptoms of cynophobia may include feeling faint or light-headed, dizziness, cold sweats, trembling, heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, dry mouth, freezing up or taking flight.

Avoidance tactics may range from crossing the road to avoiding coming into close contact with a dog, to avoiding altogether streets where dogs live – especially if they are left to roam freely. Acute sufferers of cynophobia may find that their fear interferes with their family or social life if they know that dogs are present, and in extreme cases cynophobics will close themselves in their homes to avoid potential encounters with dogs.

The onset of cynophobia usually happens in early childhood but has been found to flare up even in early adulthood. It also tends to be more common in females than males. In children, the fear may unwittingly be instilled by the stereotyped use of large dogs in storybooks, or by poor learning about dogs acquired from parents or guardians. It may also stem from a historical association between the dog and its ancestor – the wolf. Very often, a fear of dogs comes from an actual personal experience.

Whatever the cause for the fear, cynophobics usually fear not only the bite of a dog, but also the barking or growling sounds they make. Large dogs are generally more feared than small ones, but acute sufferers will fear even small dogs such as Yorkshire terriers or chihuahuas.

Dogs study human faces for visual cues

The reality is that well-brought-up pet dogs are loving, gentle creatures, capable of forming deep bonds with humans, and lone stray dogs are more likely to be fearful of humans than we should be of them. So why do some pet or stray dogs bite or bark at people? The answer is very often in a lack of understanding of dog’s body language.

Research has found that dogs study human faces for visual cues and are able to discern various facial expressions. And although there are sceptics, I have yet to meet a dog owner who will tell me that there is poor communication between them and their beloved canine companion. I also remember the curious case of Dinga the doberman, who was so intelligent that she had come to understand that when her human family bared their teeth, for them, this meant a sign of happiness, and she would make an extreme effort to curl her upper lip inward to similarly expose her teeth and join in the fun.

The family knew that their dog was not baring her teeth in a threatening manner because, having had dogs all their lives, they understood her body language. For individuals who are not so familiar with dogs, there are certain body cues that are good to know:

Not all tail wagging is the same:  when a dog is pleased to see you, it will either wag its tail so hard that its backend wiggles as well, or its tail will sweep softly side to side. But a dog whose tail is arched high over its back without wagging, or arched over its back wagging slowly and stiffly, that dog is telling you that it is feeling anxious or scared and may bite if approached. The stiffer the tail, the more tense the dog and the more likely to bite or bark.

Don’t run: this is when children get bitten most often, especially if they try to sidle away from the dog and then break into a run.  Dogs will interpret this as a hunting tactic and may attack, especially if the child starts screaming, scaring the dog even more.

Freezing up: a dog that is scared or tense will freeze up before it lunges forward to bite or attack. What is particularly important to understand is that if you are terrified of dogs and you freeze up, the dog will interpret this as a readiness to attack, prompting it to attack first and fulfilling your dreaded fear. The chances of this happening are all the greater if you are staring at the dog.

Staring eyes: Even among themselves, dogs interpret a direct stare or an unblinking gaze as a hostile act. So, if you are giving a dog a wide-eyed stare because you are afraid that it will come near you… it’s going to do exactly that because it has misinterpreted your stare as confrontational. A happy dog might just be curious about your ‘act of hostility’, but a tense dog might react badly. The best thing to do if you encounter a dog is to calmly move away and avert your eyes from its gaze.

There are other small clues that will help you to interpret a dog’s intentions: a dog that fixedly shows the whites of its eyes is scared of you or something else.  The corners of dogs’ lips, called commissures, will be pressed forward if the dog is in an aggressive mood, and pulled back if the dog is afraid. A dog that will quickly look away from you if you glance at it is either afraid of you or is scared for some other reason.  None of these body cues necessarily mean that the dog will attack you, but it’s always good to be aware that it’s not relaxed.

There is a lot more to learn about canine behaviour that cannot be covered here, but I hope that this article may help readers such as the gentleman who called. I would also like to encourage dog owners to understand that cynophobia is a genuine and potentially debilitating condition and to always keep their dogs on a tight leash if they are near other people.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.

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